[Serological screening of streptococci. Comparison of 2 methods of slide agglutination, one with streptolysin alone, the other with several enzymes (Streptozymes)].

Using 100 sera randomly selected, the clinical characteristis of which were known, we compared two methods of rapid detection of streptococcal infections by slide agglutination. One was the classical latex test for detection of anti-streptolysin O, the other was the streptozyme test. The latter reagent detects the presence of 5 streptococcal antibodies, anti-streptolysin O, anti-streptokinase, anti-streptohyaluronidase, anti-desoxyribonuclease and anti-nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotidase. It was found to be more sensitive than the latex test, for antistreptolysin O. Estimations of A.S.K. and A.S.H. confirmed also the greater specificity of the streptozyme test and showed that, thanks to the presence of supplementary enzymes, it may be positive earlier than the A.S.O. latex test. Finally, used as a semi-quantitative method, streptozyme is useful to follow up approximately in the laboratory, the course of streptococcal infections.